How do you feel about the death penalty?
Like most big issues, I try to see both sides of the story. It's easy to look at someone like Timothy McVeigh and say "yeah, he should die", but in other cases, it's better to let a guilty person rot in jail forever than to risk executing an innocent man. When you look at all the prisoners that have been freed by DNA evidence, isn't the death penalty just too big a risk to take?
Answer:
I agree with you, that the government should not risk executing one single innocent person. There simply is no way to guarantee an error-free justice system. For me, that is by far the most compelling reason to be against capital punishment. There are other good reasons, too:
- Because of the extra expense of prosecuting a DP case and the appeals process (which is necessary because of the mistakes that happen), it costs taxpayers MUCH more to execute prisoners than to imprison them for life.
- The deterrent effect is questionable at best. Violent crime rates are actually higher in death penalty states. This may seem counterintuitive, but think about the mixed message it sends: we’re trying to take a stand against murder…by killing people. The government becomes the bad parent who says, ‘do as I say, not as I do.’
- There’s also an argument to be made that death is too good for the worst of our criminals. Let them wake up and go to bed every day of their lives in a prison cell, and think about the freedom they DON’T have, until they rot of old age.
- The U.S. government is supposed to be secular, but for those who invoke Christian law in this debate, you can find arguments both for AND against the death penalty in the Bible. For example, Matthew 5:38-39 insists that violence shall not beget violence. James 4:12 says that God is the only one who can take a life in the name of justice. Leviticus 19:18 warns against vengeance (which, really, is what the death penalty amounts to). In John 8:7, Jesus himself says, "let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
If I have the final say in who lives and who dies, I don't mind the death penalty, but if somebody else gets to choose who lives and who dies, then I am against it.
For me, the possibility of executing an innocent person is not the strongest argument against the death penalty. The government should uphold the highest moral standards and serve as an example to the people. If we believe that killing is wrong, than how can it be right for the government to do it? Few civilized nations still kill their own citizens. I hope we join their ranks soon.
Better than housing a criminal with food and shelter for life.
i feel that it depends on the person and what they have done. its the same argument with abortion
I am all for an eye for an eye and quit paying for criminals to have free food, a roof over their head, medical, optical, dental , the jumpsuit on their back
It does'nt solve anything, it just makes 1 more dead Human, if 1 person dies unjustly from it, it makes the whole thing NOT WORTH IT, we have lots of money and jails that they can "ROT" in. Then again, I would have no problem emptying a clip (no, make that two clip's) from a .45 into Bin Laden's ugly head !
I fugure that they shouldn't put people to death, they should just send them to prison for a REALLY LONG time. Besides, a lot of people that are put to death are found innocent afterwards.
With modern science we can use DNA testing to help create an accurate conviction. I would rather look at the overall view. Would you die to prevent several people, children and adults, from being tortured to death? When a person turns into a rabid animal torturing and murdering, then yes they should be treated like a rabid animal and put down. People think nothing of putting down a murderous animal. I know people are not animals, can't treat them the same blah blah blah. However, what do you call a person who will cut out a baby and sacrifice it in front of its dying mother? Now I do believe that there should be strict qualifying guidelines to enact the death penalty. We should do everything in our power to make sure it is not an innocent person.
I'm adamently against the death penalty
i actually sat on a death penalty case for over 6 months. the guy hired someone to kill his girlfriend, which he had previously taken out a life insurance policy on.
Like i said, it was over 6 months long, we heard from over 200 wittnesses and in the end..he was convicted of murder with a death sentence. Of course we live in California..so chances of him actually be executed in my life time are not realistic. His name is Michael Flinner (you can type it in your browser and read about him)---yes - even though he is on death row he gets to use the computer and has his own website!
As for DNA being a big risk...well in some cases yes...but like this one...no.
he actually hired someone to do the dirty work.sad thing is the person who actually killed her got LWOP (life with out parole)...and he got the death penalty.
sorry i rambled so much.hope this answers your questions.
It is a necessary evil espicially now. With all the terrible crimes[ because liberal judges & parole boards] turn them loose to continue thier crimes. Some complain about lethal injection.being cruel & inhumane.Our writers of our bill of rights didn't feel hanging was cruel.lets give the butchers thier choice. It costs taxpayers about 50.000 dollars a year. We could use that money for health & education. If convicted they should have one appeal ¬ to be released on a technocality
I think we overcomplicate this. It should be up to the criminal wether or not to have a death penalty. If someone kills another person they obviously believe killing is ok so follow their lead. If someone doesn't kill another person then they have no risk of death penalty. Why don't we prosecute the witnesses that have lied and gotten an innocent person convicted.
People can say give them the death penalty. they will not die right away they have appeals my understanding it cost more to have the death penalty then it does to keep them in prison for the rest of their natural lives. In my opinion they should make all prisoners make their own clothes and grow most of their own food. they could even take care of cows and have there own meat.chickens and pigs. it might have an initial cost but then it would be a lot less money then having to buy it all make them self sufficient instead of feeding and clothing them and if they won't work then don't feed them and they will jump in very shortly. We would have no reason for death row and paying guards 24 hour around the clock in the death row cells which cost a Lot of money. It is time to stop the nonsense of the death penalty it just cost a lot of money and does not detour any one from killing anyone. they might have more of a determent it they ran the prisons like the Sheriff in Arizona does there is no nice time being in his jail out in the middle of the desert. The people who want the death penalty should get the government to stop giving inmates
the right to all the appeals that they get which cost the tax payer a lot of money and then risk possible killing of someone Innocent of the crime
I oppose the death penalty. El Guapo has given a terrific answer.
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